This Calder Range (Calder Saga 1)

“No.” A sudden twinkle sprang into his eyes. “If you promise never to tell anyone, I’ll tell you what it is.”

“I promise.” She crossed her heart in a child’s vow of secrecy.

“Horatio.”

“Horatio,” she repeated, and felt the bubble of laughter in her voice.

“Disgusting, isn’t it?” Bull smiled.

“‘Bull’ does suit you better,” Lorna agreed, able to smile now that he was.

“‘Lorna’ suits you just fine, too,” he murmured. When she withdrew from the implied intimacy of his tone, Bull changed it and made a show of sniffing the air. “Is that fresh bread I smell?”

“Yes. I have some loaves baking in the oven.”

“Nothing tastes better than hot bread straight out of the oven,” he declared.

She laughed quietly. “It should be done in about fifteen minutes. Why don’t you come in and have some coffee?” Lorna invited.

“I’d like that, if you’re sure it’s all right.” Bull waited, giving her a chance to reconsider her impulsive offer.

Lorna flashed a glance beyond him at the house on the hill. If Benteen wouldn’t tell her anything about what was going on, maybe she could find out from Bull.

“Of course it’s all right.” She opened the door wider and stepped to the side to let him in. “Have a seat.”

While she went to pour the coffee, Bull walked to the chair by the window and picked up the sewing she’d left on the seat. “What are you making?” he asked.

“A new shirt for Arthur. You can put it on the table for now.” She paused to peek in the oven at the baking loaves of bread.

He unfolded the shirt and held it up. “It sure is small. My hand won’t even fit in the sleeve.” He wiggled the three fingers that he was able to slip into the opening.

“Your hand’s a lot bigger than his arm.” She exchanged the cup of coffee for the shirt.

Bull repositioned the chair so he was sitting parallel to the window and facing the door. His gaze traveled to the two small boys sleeping soundly on the short cots in the far corner of the room.

“I was never around kids very much. I’ve grown kinda fond of those two,” he admitted, and took a sip of the hot coffee.

“They like you a lot, too.”

“That Webb is going to be quite a horseman when he grows up. He can practically ride by himself now.”

“It isn’t really surprising. Benteen took him for his first ride when he was less than a month old.” Lorna smiled as she remembered the day. The mention of Benteen brought her thoughts back to her purpose. “Of course, the ranch has kept him so busy lately he hasn’t been able to devote very much time to teaching Webb to ride. He’s had to be away a lot because of this business venture with Lady Crawford.”

“I know he’s been out buying a lot of cattle to fill that Canadian contract,” Bull agreed. “It looks like those two are going to make nothing but money.”

Lorna had known Benteen had been purchasing cattle and that Jessie had taken a herd to Canada to sell, but she hadn’t connected the two to Lady Crawford.

“To tell you the truth, I am a little surprised at how well Benteen is getting along with Lady Crawford. He used to have a low opinion of so-called aristocrats. They’re actually becoming friends, I think.”

“It really shouldn’t come as a surprise,” Bull said, studying Lorna thoughtfully. “She’s still a beautiful woman. Any normal man would enjoy her company.”

“Yes, she still is beautiful”—Lorna’s agreement came easily until she read another implication in his words—”although she is considerably older than Benteen.”

“Do you think that makes a difference?” he asked with apparent innocence.

“A difference in what?” She was wary, not liking the turn this conversation was taking, yet unable to stop it or direct it onto another course.

“In whether Benteen would be attracted to her,” Bull said.